Chapter -5: ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Pollution may be defined as addition of undesirable material into the

environment as a result of human activities. The agents which cause
environmental pollution is called pollutants.
A pollutant may be defined as a physical, chemical or biological
substance unintentionally released into the environment which is
directly or indirectly harmful to humans and other living organisms.
TYPES OF POLLUTION
• Air pollution
• Noise pollution
• Water pollution
• Soil pollution

AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution may be defined as the presence of any solid,
liquid or gaseous substance including noise and
radioactive radiation in the atmosphere in such
concentration that may be directly and indirectly
injurious to humans or other living organisms, plants,
property or interferes with the normal environmental
processes.
Air pollutants are of two types (1) suspended particulate
matter, and (2) gaseous pollutants like carbon dioxide
(CO2), NOx etc.
• Particulate matter suspended in air are dust and
soot released from the industrial chimneys.
• Their size ranges from 0.001 to 500 μm in diameter.
Particles less than 10μm float and move freely with
the air current.
• Particles which are more than 10μm in diameter
settle down.
• Major source of SPM (suspended particulate matter)
are vehicles, power plants, construction activities, oil
refinery, railway yard, market place, industries, etc.
Fly ash
Fly ash is ejected mostly by thermal power plants as bi-
products of coal burning operations.
Primary pollutants Ex: Dust storms and volcanic
eruptions and through human activities like emission
from vehicles, industries etc. There are five primary
pollutants that contribute to 90% of global air
pollution. These are carbon oxides (CO & CO2),
Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur oxides, volatile organic
compounds and suspended particulate matter.
Secondary pollutants: The pollutants that are
produced in the atmosphere, when certain chemical
reactions take place among the primary pollutants and
with others in the atmosphere are called secondary air
pollutants. Ex: Sulphuric acid nitric acid, carbonic acid
and acid rain, PAN -peroxyl acetyl nitrate (nitrogen
dioxide +volatile organic compounds PAN, Ozone.
Causes of Air pollution:
• volcanic emissions
• biogenic sources
• lightening
• fuel burning
• transportation, construction of buildings, chemical
factories, metallurgical factories and, vehicles.
Effects of Air Pollution:
1. Effects on human health:
• Particulates cause carcinogenic effects,
accumulate in lungs and interfere with
ability of lungs to exchange gases.
• Prolongeal exposure causes lung cancer
and asthma.
• Cigarette smoking is responsible for
greatest exposure to carbon monoxide
(CO).
• As CO remains attached to
 • hemoglobin in the blood for a long time,
it accumulates and reduces the oxygen
carrying capacity of blood.
• SO2 irritates the respiratory tissues.
• . NO2 can irritate lungs, aggravate asthma
and susceptibility to influenza a common
cold.
2. Effects on plants:
Gaseous pollutants enter the leaf pores and damage
the leaves of crop plants, interfere with photosynthesis
and plants growth and reduces nutrient uptake and
causes the leaves to turn yellow, brown or drop off
altogether.
3. . Effect on stratosphere:
• The upper stratosphere consists of
considerable amounts of ozone, which
works as an effective screen for UV light.
• Presence of certain pollutants can
accelerate the breakdown of ozone.
• Depletion of ozone effects human health,
food productivity and climate.
4. Effects on climate:
Contribute to global warming, a phenomenon
which is caused due to the increase in
concentration of certain gases like CO2, NO2
methane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
5. Acid Rain:
The burning of fossil fuels releases harmful
gases such as nitrogen oxides and Sulphur
oxides in the air. The water droplets combine
with these pollutants, become acidic and fall
as acid rain which damages human, animal
and plant life.
Prevention and control of air pollution
• Use of cleaner fuels such as liquefied
natural gas (LNG) in power plants,
fertilizer plants etc. which is cheaper in
addition to being environmentally
friendly.
• employing environment friendly
industrial processes so that emission of
pollutants and hazardous waste is
minimized.
• Installing devices which reduce release of
pollutants. Devices like filters
 electrostatic precipitators, inertial
collectors, scrubbers, gravel bed filters or
dry scrubbers.
• Increasing the height of chimneys.
• Closing industries which pollute the
environment.
• Shifting of polluting industries away from
cities and heavily populated areas.
• The emission standards for automobiles
have been set which if followed will
reduce the pollution.
• Standards have been set for the durability
of catalytic converters which reduce
vehicular emission.
• Usage of public transport and carpooling.
• Switching off the lights when they’re not
in use.
• Reusing and recycling products.
• Avoiding the burning of garbage and
smoking.
• Avoiding the use of firecrackers.
Case study of air pollution:
• Bhopal Gas Tragedy - [December 2, 1984]
• On the night of 2 December 1984, a gas
leak at the Union Carbide India Limited
(UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal led to the
deaths of about 4000 people and
adversely affected the health of lakhs of
people. The disaster’s after-effects
continue to this day. This article shares
more details about the Bhopal Gas
Tragedy.
• UCIL manufactured carbaryl using methyl
isocyanate (MIC) as an intermediate.
Although there are other methods to
produce the end-product, they cost more.
• MIC is a highly toxic chemical and
extremely dangerous to human health.
Initial effects of exposure:
• Coughing
• Feeling of suffocation
• Severe eye irritation
• Burning in the respiratory tract
• Breathlessness
• Stomach pain and vomiting
• London smog:
Smog = smoke + fog (smoky fog) caused
by the burning of large amounts of coal,
vehicular emission and industrial fumes
(Primary pollutants).
Smog contains soot particulates like
smoke, Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide
and other components.
At least two distinct types of smog are
recognized: Sulfurous smog and
Photochemical smog.
Sulfurous smog
Sulfurous smog is also called “London
smog,” (first formed in London).
Sulfurous smog results from a high
concentration of SULFUR OXIDES in the
air and is caused by the use of sulfur-
bearing fossil fuels, particularly coal (Coal
was the mains source of power in London
during nineteenth century. The effects of
coal burning were observed in early
twentieth century).
This type of smog is aggravated by
dampness and a high concentration of
suspended particulate matter in the air.
Photochemical smog

photochemical smog is also known as

“Los Angeles smog”. Photochemical smog
occurs most prominently in urban areas
that have large numbers of automobiles
(Nitrogen oxides are the primary
emission).
Photochemical (summer smog) forms
when pollutants such as nitrogen oxides
(primary pollutant) and organic
compounds (primary pollutants) react
together in the presence of SUNLIGHT. A
gas called OZONE (Secondary pollutant) is
formed.
Nitrogen Dioxide + Sunlight +
Hydrocarbons = Ozone (Ozone in
stratosphere it is beneficial, but near the
earth’s surface it results in global
warming as it is a greenhouse gas)

The resulting smog causes a light

brownish coloration of the atmosphere,
 reduced visibility, plant damage, irritation
of the eyes, and respiratory distress.
NOISE POLLUTION
• The word noise is derived from the Latin
word ‘Nausea’, which means sickness in
which one feels the need to vomit.
• Noise is the unpleasant and undesirable
sound which leads to discomfort in
human beings.
• The intensity of sound is measured in
decibels (dB).
• Causes and Sources of Noise Pollution
• Industrialization: Industrialization has led
to an increase in noise pollution as the
use of heavy machinery such as
generators, mills, huge exhaust fans are
used, resulting in the production of
unwanted noise.
• Vehicles: Increased number of vehicles on
the roads are the second reason for noise
pollution.
• Events: Weddings, public gatherings
involve loudspeakers to play music
 resulting in the production of unwanted
noise in the neighborhood.
• Construction sites: Mining, construction
of buildings, etc. add to the noise
pollution
• Unnecessary usage of horns
• Using loudspeakers either for religious
functions or for political purposes
• Unnecessary usage of fireworks
• Industrial noise
• Construction noise
• Noise from transportation such as railway
and aircraft.
Effects of Noise Pollution on Human
Health
• Hypertension: It is a direct result of noise
pollution which is caused due to elevated
blood levels for a longer duration.
• Hearing loss: Constant exposure of
human ears to loud noise that are beyond
the range of sound that human ears can
withstand damages the eardrums,
resulting in loss of hearing.
• Sleeping disorders: Lack of sleep might
result in fatigue and low energy level
throughout the day affecting everyday
activities. Noise pollution hampers the
sleep cycles leading to irritation and an
uncomfortable state of mind.
• Cardiovascular issues: Heart-related
problems such as blood pressure level,
stress and cardiovascular diseases might
come up in a normal person and a person
suffering from any of these diseases
might feel a sudden shoot up in the level.

Prevention of Noise Pollution

• Honking in public places like teaching
institutes, hospitals, etc. should be
banned.
• In commercial, hospital, and industrial
buildings, adequate soundproof systems
should be installed.
• Musical instruments’ sound should be
controlled to desirable limits.
• Dense tree cover is useful in noise
pollution prevention.
• Explosives should not be used in forest,
mountainous and mining areas.
WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution can be defined as the
contamination of water bodies. Water
pollution is caused when water bodies
such as rivers, lakes, oceans, groundwater
and aquifers get contaminated with
industrial and agricultural effluents.
Types of water pollution
• When pollutants are discharged from a
specific location such as a drain pipe
carrying industrial effluents discharged
directly into a water body it represents
point source pollution.
• non-point sources include discharge of
pollutants from diffused sources or from
a larger area such as run off from
agricultural fields, grazing lands,
construction sites, abandoned mines and
pits, roads and streets.
Sources Of Water Pollution
• Urbanization.
• Deforestation.
• Industrial effluents.
• Social and Religious Practices.
• Use of Detergents and Fertilizers.
• Agricultural run-offs- Use of insecticides
and pesticides.
Effects Of Water Pollution
• Biological oxygen Demand — The
indicator that measures the organic
pollution found in water.
• Destruction of biodiversity- Water
pollution depletes aquatic ecosystems
and triggers unbridled proliferation of
phytoplankton in lakes — eutrophication.
• Contamination of the food chain- Fishing
in polluted waters and the use of waste
water for livestock farming and
agriculture can introduce toxins into
foods which are harmful to our health
when eaten.
• Disease- The WHO estimates that about 2
billion people have no option but to drink
water contaminated by excrement,
exposing them to diseases such as
cholera, hepatitis A and dysentery.
• Infant mortality- According to the UN,
diarrheal diseases linked to lack of
hygiene cause the death of about 1,000
children a day worldwide.
• Dissolved oxygen
• pH of the water
PREVENTION OF WATER POLLUTION
• Reduce CO2 emissions to prevent global
warming and acidification of the oceans.
• Reduce the use of chemical pesticides
and nutrients on crops.
• Reduce and safely treat waste water so
that, as well as not polluting, it can be
reused for irrigation and energy
production.
• Restrict the use of single-use plastics that
end up floating in rivers, lakes and
oceans, many as microplastics.
• Encourage sustainable fishing to ensure
the survival of species and avoid
depletion of the seas.
• Water should be reused with or without
treatment
Case study of water pollution
Minamata disease
Minamata disease, Disease first identified
in 1956 in Minamata, Japan. A fishing
port, Minamata was also the home of
Nippon Chisso Hiryo Co., a manufacturer
of chemical fertilizer, carbide, and vinyl
chloride. Methyl mercury discharged
from the factory contaminated fish and
shellfish, which in turn caused illness in
the local inhabitants who consumed them
and birth defects in their children.
Itai-itai Disease
Itai-Itai disease was initially identified in
Japan in the 1960s and is caused by
exposure to cadmium (Cd), which is a
result of mining activities associated with
industrialization. Osteomalacia with
severe bone pain is a defining feature of
Itai-Itai illness, which is also linked to
kidney dysfunction. Itai-itai Disease is also
referred to as an ouch-ouch disease.
BLUE BABY SYNDROME
Blue baby syndrome, also known as infant
methemoglobinemia, is a condition
 where a baby’s skin turns blue. This
occurs due to a decreased amount of
hemoglobin in the baby’s blood.
• The most common cause of blue baby
syndrome is water contaminated with
nitrates.
Measurement of water pollution
• Biochemical oxygen demand
BOD is the biological method used for the
measurement of the total amount of
dissolved oxygen (DO) used by microbes
in the biological process of metabolizing
organic molecules present in water.
• When BOD is low, the dissolved oxygen
present in the water body is high. This
indicates that the water is less polluted
by organic matter.
• Chemical oxygen demand
Chemical oxygen demand is the amount
of oxygen needed for the chemical
oxidation of organic and inorganic
substances found in wastewater using
oxidizing agents like potassium
 permanganate, potassium dichromate,
etc.
SOIL POLLUTION
Soil pollution is defined as the presence
of toxic chemicals (pollutants or
contaminants) in the soil, in very high
concentrations to pose a risk to human
health and the ecosystem. Or in simple
words Alteration in the natural soil due to
human activities is termed Soil Pollution.
Soil Pollution Causes
• Agricultural Activities: use of synthetic
herbicides, insecticides, bactericides, and
fertilizers, all of which contribute to
pollution.
• Mining Activities: Mining harms the
ecosystem by destroying habitats, causing
soil erosion, and polluting surface water,
groundwater, and soil.
• Urbanization: Intensive urbanization will
exacerbate poverty by preventing local
municipalities from providing services to
all residents.
• Nuclear Waste: The soil is also
contaminated by radioactive waste from
nuclear research stations and nuclear
power plants, as well as radioactive
fallout from nuclear explosions.
• Waste Disposal: Disposal of plastics and
other solid waste is a serious issue that
causes soil pollution, disposal of electrical
items such as batteries causes an adverse
effect on the soil due to the presence of
harmful chemicals.
• Acid Rain: It is caused when pollutants
present in the air mix with the rain and
fall back on the ground.
• Nuclear Waste: It can also lead to soil
degradation.
• Oil Spills: Oil leaks can happen during the
storage or transport of chemicals; the
chemicals present in the fuel deteriorates
the quality of soil.
Effects of Soil Pollution
• Soil pollution affects the health of
humans, plants, and animals. Crops or
plants grown on such contaminated soil
 absorb toxic material from the soil and
will decrease the agricultural output of
the land.
• The contamination of soil has a major
consequence on human health. Crops and
plants that are grown on polluted soil
absorb most of the pollution and then
pass them to humans.
• playing in contaminated soil can lead to
respiratory diseases, skin diseases, and
other health problems.
• Diseases caused by soil pollution include
Irritation of the skin and the eyes,
Headaches, nausea, vomiting, Coughing,
pain in the chest, and wheezing.
• change in the chemistry of soil can
negatively impact the lives of living
organisms and can result in the gradual
death of many organisms.
Solutions to Land Pollution
• To reduce land emissions, reduce, reuse,
and recycle.
• It is essential to practice reforestation
and afforestation.
• Organic fertilizers, an integrated pest
control method, and crop rotation can all
be used by farmers.
• One of the most important ways to help
minimize landfill waste, protect natural
resources, preserve wildlife, reduce
noise, reduce energy use, and slow global
warming is to incorporate recycling habits
into your everyday life.
• Promote Use of Natural Manure
• Bioremediation: Bioremediation is the use
of biological processes to degrade,
transform, or essentially remove
contaminants from soil and water.
• This process relies on micro-organisms
including bacteria and/or fungi, which use
the contaminant as a food source.
Nuclear hazards and human health
• Nuclear fission, is a process by which a
fissile nucleus like Uranium 235 is
bombarded with a neutron and the fissile
nucleus then splits in two and releases
energy. And also releases a couple of
 extra neutrons which then diffuse
through the background of the reactor.
• Radioactive substances are present in
nature. They undergo natural radioactive
decay in which unstable isotopes
spontaneously give out fast moving
particles, high energy radiations or both,
at a fixed rate until a new stable isotope
is formed.
• The isotopes release energy either in the
form of gamma rays (high energy
electromagnetic radiation) or ionization
particles i.e., alpha particles and beta
particles. The alpha particles are fast
moving positively charged particles
whereas beta particles are high speed
negatively charged electrons.
Sources of Radioactivity
• Natural Sources: Sources of natural
radioactivity include cosmic rays from
outer space, radioactive radon-222, soil,
rocks, air, water and food, which contain
one or more radioactive substances.
• Anthropogenic sources: These sources
are nuclear power plants, nuclear
accidents, X-rays, diagnostic kits, test
laboratories etc. where radioactive
substances are used.
• Use of radioactive materials in Defense
weapon production: nuclear weapon
production may also release radiations
from the handled radioactive materials
(usually of high health risks).
• However, unless accident occurs, the
current standards will not allow the
release of any significant amount of
radiation.
• Mining and processing of radioactive
ores
• Effects of Radiations
a) ionization radiations can affect living
organisms by causing harmful
changes in the body cells and also
changes at genetic level.
b) Genetic damage is caused by
radiations, which induce mutations in
 the DNA, thereby affecting genes and
chromosomes.
c) The damage is often seen in the off
springs and may be transmitted up to
several generations.
d) somatic damage includes burns,
miscarriages, eye cataract and cancer
of bone, thyroid, breast, lungs and
skin.
e) Occupational Diseases:
• Few occupations that involve
radioactive exposures are
uranium mineworkers, radium
watch dial painters, technical
staff at nuclear power plants,
etc.
• Exposure to radioactive and
nuclear hazards has been
clinically proven to cause cancer,
mutations and teratogenesis
(Teratogenesis is a prenatal
toxicity characterized by
structural or functional defects
 in the developing embryo or
fetus).
• Effects through
Biomagnifications: Through food
chain also, radioactivity effects
are experienced by man.
• E.g., Strontium 90 behaves like
calcium and is easily deposited
and replaces calcium in the bone
tissues.
Control of nuclear hazards:

• Safety measures should be

enforced strictly and
strengthened against nuclear
accidents.
• Appropriate steps should be
taken against occupational
exposure.
• Waste disposal must be careful,
efficient and effective.
• Leakages from nuclear reactors,
careless handling, transport and
use of radioactive fuels, fission
 products and radioactive
isotopes have to be totally
stopped.
Case study of nuclear hazards
• Chernobyl disaster:
The Chernobyl Disaster occurred
on April 26, 1986, when reactor
No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant exploded near
Pripyat in the Ukrainian Soviet
Socialist Republic. spewing
enormous amounts of
radioactivity into the
surrounding area. Chernobyl was
the location of one of the
greatest nuclear tragedies in
human history.
• Three Mile Island Nuclear
Accident:
The accident at the Three Mile
Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) nuclear
power plant in Pennsylvania on
March 28, 1979 was one of the
most serious in the history of the
 U.S. nuclear industry. It not only
brought to light the hazards
associated with nuclear power,
but also forced the industry to
take a closer look at the
operating procedures used at
the time. What makes the TMI-2
accident such an interesting case
study is the series of events
which led up to the partial
meltdown of the reactor core
Body.
• Fukushima accident:
The Fukushima accident was an
accident in 2011 at the
Fukushima Daiichi (“Number
One”) nuclear power plant in
Japan. It is the second worst
nuclear accident in the history of
nuclear power generation,
behind the Chernobyl disaster.
An earthquake and tsunami led
to power loss in the Fukushima
Daiichi plant. Without power,
 the cooling systems failed in
three reactors, and their cores
subsequently overheated. This
led to a partial meltdown of the
fuel rods, a fire in the storage
reactor, explosions in the outer
containment buildings (caused
by a buildup of hydrogen gas),
and the release of radiation into
the air and ocean.
• Bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki – 1945
Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, the United
States dropped an atomic bomb
on the city of Hiroshima. The
bomb was known as "Little Boy",
a uranium gun-type bomb that
exploded with about thirteen
kilotons of force.
Nagasaki
Nagasaki before and after
Three days after the United
States dropped an atomic bomb
on Hiroshima, a second atomic
bomb was dropped on Nagasaki
on August 9 – a 21-kiloton
plutonium device known as "Fat
Man.” On the day of the
bombing.